1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a card-like wireless communication device as set forth in the preamble of claim 1. The invention relates also to a method in the manufacture of a card-like wireless communication device as set forth in the preamble of claim 8.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In wireless communication devices, such as mobile stations, antennas used for the transmission and receiving of radio-frequency signals include, in a known manner, a monopoly antenna and a helix antenna. The radio-frequency signals are transmitted between the radio part and the antenna of the wireless communication device usually by means of conductors and connectors.
The monopole antenna is, in principle, a straight conductor which is placed substantially perpendicularly above the conducting level and whose length depends e.g. on the frequency range of the radio-frequency signal used at the time. For example in mobile stations, the monopoly antenna is implemented, in a manner known as such, as pulled-out antenna structure so that an antenna conductor or the like, placed inside the frame of the mobile station, can be pulled out from the mobile station for the time of a call. Pulled to its extreme position, the antenna conductor is locked in position and simultaneously coupled electrically to be ready to use with the radio part of the mobile station. After the call, the antenna conductor is usually inserted back in the housing of the mobile station.
The helix antenna is a conductor with a right-hand or a left-hand helix which is placed on top of the conducting level. Using the helix antenna, the antenna is made shorter than the monopoly antenna when operating in the same frequency range. In mobile stations, the helix antenna is implemented in a known manner so that the antenna conductor is placed inside a cylindrical or conical antenna structure used as a shield which is further fixed to the mobile station, usually placed at least partly outside the same. Also this structure, being placed outside the mobile station, is liable to damage.
For the operation of the antenna, it is advantageous that the antenna is placed in a free space outside a mobile station or a corresponding device. Thus, the antenna is placed farther from components of the device which may cause radio interference, such as integrated circuits (IC) and radio frequency (RF) circuits, and the structures of the device do not interfere with the radiation pattern of the antenna, whereby reception of radio-frequency signals is more reliable, particularly in a weak signal field.
Further, portfolio-type portable computers are known which comprise the necessary radio elements and an antenna for data transmission in a wireless manner via a radio connection. These wireless communication devices apply, in a known manner, the above-described pulled-out monopoly antenna and an antenna structure which is placed e.g. in connection with a display placed in the cover part. Also, a portfolio-type portable computer is known where the antenna structure comprises a helix antenna which is placed at the end of an arm construction and which can be placed totally shielded inside the device. When at least partly pulled out, the helix antenna can be made as far as possible from those elements of the device which cause radio interference.
A drawback with the above-mentioned devices is the fact that the antenna structure or the end of the antenna must be gripped for pulling out the antenna from the device, whereby the antenna must be arranged at least partly protruding from the device. A particular drawback is thus the fact that the protruding part of the antenna can be attached to something particularly during transportation of the device, damaging the antenna. For placing the antenna fully shielded inside the device, the device itself must be equipped with extra recesses or holes so that the antenna structure could first be moved a bit out of the device, after which the antenna can be gripped more easily for pulling it out. Such an operation for pulling out the antenna is, however, slow and laborious.
According to prior art, for example portfolio-type portable personal computers (PC) are often equipped with an expansion card connection to which a standard expansion card can be connected. These expansion cards have the size and shape of almost a credit card and are intended to constitute a functional unit with the PC. Known expansion cards include memory cards (RAM and ROM cards), modem cards and different input/output (I/O) cards as well as fixed disk cards. The expansion cards can also contain the radio parts of a wireless communication device, including an antenna, whereby the PC can communicate by means of this card-like wireless communication device with other devices or a communication network, such as a GSM network (Global System for Mobile Communication).
One known expansion card is the PC card complying with the PCMCIA standard (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association). The PCMCIA standard defines also the physical size of the PC card, whereby the length of the PC card is 85.6 mm and the width is 54 mm. PC cards are further divided into three types, whereby the thickness of the PC card can be 3.3 mm (type I), 5.0 mm (type II) or 10.5 mm (type III). PC cards are designed to be inserted wholly inside a PC, but so-called extended PC cards are placed partly outside the PC, whereby the thickness and design of the PC cards can vary in this part placed outside the PC. This part can also be provided with the antenna of a wireless communication device.
One known card-like wireless communication device comprising a transceiver with its antenna is the Nokia Cellular Card Phone that can be connected with expansion card connections of PC card types II and III of the PCMCIA standard. The card phone (CP) of prior art is presented in the patent application EP 0 783 236 A1. Said card phone (CP) can comply e.g. with the GSM standard, whereby the PC device to which the card phone (CP) is connected, can be in wireless communication with base stations of the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) by means of radio waves. In the card phone, the antenna part containing the antenna is placed in that part of the card phone (CP) which is outside the PC device, and the antenna part is integrated in the card-like part of the card phone (CP) which is placed inside the expansion card connection. One embodiment of the card phone (CP) of prior art is shown in FIG. 5.
Card-like wireless communication devices can be detached from the expansion card connection of the PC device, whereby the protruding parts of the PC card cannot be attached to anything during transportation of the PC device, whereby the PC card or its antenna part could be damaged or broken. For pulling out the card phone (CP) from the expansion card connection, the protruding part of the PC card or the antenna part is gripped. A disadvantage with such devices is, however, just the fact that the card-like wireless communication device must be removed from the PC device for transportation, whereby making the device ready to use may require inserting the wireless communication device back in its place.
The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawback and to present a considerable improvement to the prior art by means of a wireless communication device according to the invention. The wireless communication device of the invention is characterised in what is presented in the characterising part of claim 1. The method for manufacturing a card-like wireless communication device according to the invention is characterised in what is presented in the characterising part of claim 8.
The card-like wireless communication device of the invention, such as a card phone (CP), has the significant advantage that by designing the card to correspond with the dimensions of a PCMCIA card and by placing the antenna part transversely at the end of the card, the whole card-like wireless communication device can be designed in the size of the PCMCIA card, i.e. 85.6 mm long and 54 mm wide. Thus, this PCMCIA card fits entirely inside the expansion card connection of e.g. a PC device. Thanks to the movement mechanism of the antenna structure, the antenna part can be simply equipped also with the option, known as such, that the antenna can be turned to a desired angular position in its operational position, for example by a rotating movement around the functional axis of the movement mechanism. In the above-described case, the length of the antenna part is 54 mm, but by arranging the antenna part to be pivotal and to act also in a telescopic manner, it can be moved also in its longitudinal direction. The pivoting of the antenna is necessary in order to make the radiation pattern of the antenna in a position which is as optimal as possible for receiving and transmitting a radio signal.
Further, the card-like wireless communication device according to the invention, such as a card phone (CP), has the considerable advantage that the card phone (CP) does not need to be removed from the PC device for the time of transportation. Thus, the taking into use of the PC device, setting up of the radio connection and starting of wireless data transmission is accelerated, and the card phone (CP) does not need to be stored separately from the PC device. At the same time, also the installations of the card phone (CP) in the expansion card connector and removals from the connector are reduced, thereby reducing the wearing and failures of the connector.
It is a considerable advantage of the card-like wireless communication device of the invention that the antenna part can be placed at least in its transport position wholly inside e.g. a wireless communication device, whereby the antenna structure is protected. Another advantage is that the wireless communication device or the antenna part, e.g. its end, does not need to be provided with recesses, openings or extra parts for pulling out the antenna from the device. Pulling out of the antenna part is considerably quicker and easier than in prior art. Thus, also the risk that the antenna part or said extra parts are attached to something during transportation, is reduced in view of prior art.
A particular advantage of the invention is that the antenna part with the antenna is in its operative position placed in a free space outside the device. Thus the antenna is placed farther from the components of the device causing radio interference, such as the processor of a computer. The effect of electromagnetic disturbances caused by the components is reduced when the distance increases. Further, the structures of the device do not disturb the radiation pattern of the antenna, wherein the reception of radio-frequency signals is more reliable particularly in a weak signal field.
Another considerable advantage of the antenna structure of the card-like wireless communication device according to the invention is that the movement of the antenna part can be arranged so that the user does not need to pull out the antenna part but thanks to the spring-like operation of the antenna structure, the antenna part is pushed by its own force out of the device. Thus, the antenna part can be moved readily to its functional position at a selected distance from the device, whereby the user does not need to take care of pulling out the antenna part to this distance.
The antenna structure according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention is particularly advantageous when the operational axis of the shifting mechanism of the antenna part is transverse to the antenna part. Thus, the antenna part, pulled out e.g. at the side of a PC device, is substantially parallel to this side, and the antenna part takes less space in the side direction than an antenna part which is transverse to said side when pulled out. A further advantage is that the movement carried out by the user for shifting the antenna part into the transport position is smaller than in the case that the operating axis and the antenna part are substantially parallel. At the same time, the antenna part is not pushed at its end, like monopoly antennas of mobile stations of prior art, whereby the risks of bending particularly a wire-like antenna in connection with inserting it are reduced.
Moreover, the card-like wireless communication device of the invention has the particular advantage that the removal of the card from the expansion card connector is easier than in prior art, because the antenna part of the antenna structure shifted in its operational position can be used also for pulling out the card itself.
Further, an advantageous embodiment of the card-like wireless communication device of the invention has the advantage that the lock stud placed in the card is used for preventing twisting of the antenna part in its transportation position, whereby it is also easier to handle separately from the PC device. In addition, when the card-like wireless communication device is installed in the expansion card connector of the PC device and when the antenna part is moved from the transport position to an intermediate position or from the operational position to the intermediate position, the antenna part is not simultaneously twisted, whereby it is guided more easily in the connector slot and its attachment to the edges of the connector slot is prevented preferably totally.